Two of the Stylists Behind Solange’s When I Get Home on Fashion and Black Southern Culture

Solange is headed home to Houston. After taking us through heartbreak on Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams and a deep period of introspection on A Seat at the Table, she invites us to a homecoming with her latest album, When I Get Home. Traveling with her to Texas, we explore the roots and traditions of Southern African-American culture, riding in cars with a candy paint finish (“Way to the Show”) and gleaning life advice from our all-knowing aunts (“Nothing Without Intention”). We extol the virtues of being young, gifted, and black — from our black skin and black braids to our endless reserve of faith (“Almeda”). We travel back to our childhood, a simpler time marked by big dreams (“Dreams”), boundless imagination (“Things I Imagined”), and Black Planet pages.

Home is a sonic journey accompanied by a captivating film, which Solange released through Apple Music. In the middle of the Marfa desert, she pays tribute to the iconic yet oft-ignored black cowboys and cowgirls, figures we’ve seen celebrated in fashion recently in both the Pyer Moss ad campaign and Telfar’s NYFW show — and on social media with the hashtags #BlackYeehaw and #BlackYeehawAgenda.

The choice to pull heavily from Western fashion feels intentional. Western style is typically associated with American culture but never black culture. With cowboy boots, hats, and chaps, Solange reclaims that legacy and centers it around the black Texan experience. To bring her vision to life, she tapped stylists Jessica Willis (who dressed her for the "Almeda" video) and Mecca James-Williams (who outfitted the cast for the entire video).

Teen Vogue fashion features editor Jessica Andrews sat down with Jessica and Mecca to talk Western fashion, southern black culture, and the “beautiful” experience of working with Solange.

Teen Vogue: How did you end up working with Solange on this project?

Jessica Willis: Her team reached out to me after I’d recently styled Kelela for a cover story. I also worked with Carlota Guerrero styling a cover portfolio for Spanish Vogue, so there is a chance they learned of my work from that project as well.

Mecca J. Williams: Manifestation is so real. The universe and its potential is divine; I prayed for this opportunity. I have always connected with Solange’s art, especially as creative black woman and artist. In 2013, I interviewed Solange’s first team of editors of Saint Heron for Opening Ceremony, so when her camp reached out to me to participate in this project, it was a full-circle moment.

TV: What was the inspiration behind it?

JW: I styled the song “Almeda” in the film, and with that I can say the styling inspiration was bold and interesting silhouettes and textures paired with cues from Texas, for example cowboy, and touches of futurism.

MJW: “When I Get Home” is a reflection of Solange’s exploration back home to Houston, Texas. The inspiration is a strong ode to her hometown. Styling-wise, the inspiration is true to Southern black style and culture, through and through.

TV: This album is a sonic tribute to Houston. How do the clothes reflect Solange’s hometown roots?

JW: I believe the cues played a key part in tying the styling back to her hometown roots.

MJW: The majority of the clothing and accessories for the cast were sourced in Houston. My assistant and I drove around for hours to local boutiques and thrift stores sourcing for the large and small group sequences. It was a very authentic process, and we stayed true to styles synonymous to Houston.

TV: What was the process like behind the scenes?

MJW: The process behind the scenes was very hands-on and collaborative. Kyle Luu was Solange’s stylist, and I styled the large cast and performers. We were a styling team of five working together every step of the way to create beautiful cohesive looks. We traveled from Houston to El Paso, with stops in Dallas and Marfa, together. It was such a beautiful time traveling, creating, and just meeting various people along the way. We were a unit, from car meditations to big shopping days. It was a dream.

TV: Was Solange hands-on? What was it like working with her to execute her vision?

JW: Yes, she was. It was an absolute pleasure working with her. It was a collaborative process.

MJW: Solange is very hands-on. She’s a visionary, with a distinct creative eye. Solange really is the ultimate creative director, and along with her husband, Alan Ferguson, they conceptualized and developed the entire production. Working with her to execute her vision was a master class in grace, style, and perseverance. It was challenging at times, but [an experience] that I will treasure forever.

TV: What are some standout pieces from the video you loved? Any interesting pull stories?

JW: I loved the amazing Swarovski gimp suit that opened and closed the film. We filmed this scene in the middle of the night, and it was mesmerizing watching it come to life once it was on her body.

MJW: We had only a few days to pull for this project before shooting. With that timing, I relied heavily on local shopping adventures to create the looks. A moment that sticks out the most was traveling through Texas sourcing staple pieces, from the 100 cowboy boots at local thrift stores to the unique vintage suiting pieces at small cool boutiques. We were on many crazy fashion missions. My assistant, Chela Mitchell, and I drove through the famous shopping strip Harwin in Houston to find many of the key pieces for our market. From wig fittings to cheap shoe shopping in between — It was such a beautiful fashion scavenger hunt.

TV: What was your favorite moment from set?

JW: Most of the time when I’m working on a project it’s so go, go, go that I don’t have the time to process what’s actually happening. At the end of the first day of filming, I had a “wow” moment when I looked at the monitor and watched everything playing out so beautifully. I live for this moment, when time stops for a second and I can finally see my styling working seamlessly with all the visuals, sets, and images. This is the moment I chase. Another overall moment was knowing and realizing that I was a part of something way bigger and in fact collaborating with some of the best and most innovative creatives in the industry, like Kyle Luu, Carlota Guerrero, Jawara, Miguel Ramos, and Kendall Dorsey; to have my work alongside theirs is a complete honor.

MJW: My favorite moment hands down would have to be the rodeo. My last shoot location for this project was in Marfa, Texas, where we shot in the middle of the desert, and every moment was far from just captivating. There were black bull riders, black cowboys, the famous black lassoer Rex. It was such a magical moment hearing Solange’s song "Almeda" blast from the set speakers and watching so many people of color showcasing their talents. What a time to be alive!

TV: What designers did you pull from for the video? Was it a mix of major fashion houses and lesser-known, even local designers?

JW: It was a mixture of everything from established designers and brands to emerging designers, vintage and costume.

MJW: For the cast, I pulled in large quantities — there were scenes where we had up to 100 people. Kyle brought the luxury fashion market, and I brought small indie brands and staple fashion in large quantities to the table. We mixed both and created looks for many of the scenes in the film. For scenes such as the pole dancing, I was excited to style the dancer, Neyon, in a new Italian brand, Fantabody.

We also relied heavily on costuming. For the beautiful brown section, we sourced rich chocolate fabric in Manhattan and made custom outfits for each person on set. Same for the magical scene at Fort Worth Water Gardens — we created those eye-catching black headdresses and gowns on the fly.

TV: Which songs do you love from the album?

JW: Honestly, I love the album in its entirety. To me, it’s like a stream of thoughts; it flows, so I look at the album as one piece or one song. But if I had to pick, I would say “Down With the Clique," “Way to the Show,” and “Almeda.”

MJW: The entire album is a bop, but if I had to choose, I’d say “Almeda.” Hands down.
“Brown liquor, brown liquor. Brown skin, brown face.
Brown leather, brown sugar. Brown leaves, brown keys.
Brown creepers, brown face. Black skin, black braids.
Black waves, black days. Black baes, black things.
These are black-owned things.”
And in a strong second place, tied are both “My Skin My Logo” and “Binz.”

TV: Tell me about your career journey. What’s some advice you can share for aspiring stylists?

JW: So a funny thing is I was in art school with the hopes of becoming a sculptor. While attending college, I began interning at a costume house in Hollywood, where we produced custom costumes for pop musicians like Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Nicki Minaj. I didn’t have a costuming background, but I was super crafty, knew how to sew, and learned quickly. The costume house was a collective between designer Marco and Ashton; they both saw my drive and ended up hiring me full time and sending me on tour with the Black Eyed Peas, where I was part of their wardrobe team. So needless to say, I dropped out of school and toured worldwide for three years. When the tour ended, I decided to explore more aspects of the industry outside of music and costuming. With that work, I ended up landing a lead stylist position at a major fashion company in Philadelphia. On weekends, I’d commute to NYC to do editorials for indie magazines. After a year in Philly, the next natural step was to move to New York, test the waters, and implement everything I learned along the way. So fast-forward four years, and here I am now.

[For aspiring creatives, I’d say] stay curious and do tons of research; trust yourself and your journey. Have fun while on it, collaborate with creatives you look up to and can see yourself growing with, work hard, be consistent, and most importantly, be patient.

MJW: I moved to NYC in 2011 to start my studies at LIM College. After a short time, I left school early and quickly immersed myself in the industry. I found an internship with a stylist who was a contributing fashion editor for Teen Vogue at the time, then I worked my way up. I spent most of my career to this date working with legendary stylists (Sophia Neophitou, Karl Templer, Charlotte Stockdale, to name a few) and really learning and perfecting my craft. I started assisting at 19, and just trained myself on different processes to help me become a well-equipped stylist. I worked at Opening Ceremony for two years as well, where I was an online stylist, learning the digital side of the industry and meeting cool, upcoming brands and creatives that I am still friends and collaborators with today. Shortly after, I landed a lead first-assistant role with mega-editor Giovanna Battaglia-Engelbert. With her, I traveled the world and learned luxury editorial fashion on another level within Japanese Vogue and W magazine. In 2017, I went off on my own as an editor. I did a small stint at Net-A-Porter, as their deputy styling editor, then moved back into editorial styling to build my brand and creative path I dreamed of my whole life.

To all the aspiring stylists, don’t rush the process. Study your craft, and manifest your dreams. My years of study weren’t traditional. I didn’t finish school, but I made Condé Nast’s fashion closets and shoot sets my classroom. I studied fashion and art in various mediums and slowly developed my taste level and creative eye. Work your way up in the industry, learn the ins and outs, and take your time. Social media can make you want everything fast and now, but there is so much beauty in taking you time and developing your skills.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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